Dispensing closures, pour spouts and other dispensing devices are known in the art, but the designs heretofore known have failed to provide the beneficial attributes of the present dispensing device as will be readily apparent from the disclosure set forth herein.
An early dispensing device was that of the spigot, typically utilized in conjunction with kegs or other suitable containers, as is exemplified by the spigot disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,889,937. This device, however, is extremely complex, consists of numerous parts, is difficult to manufacture, and is not dripless.
Dispensing closures having movable spouts, generally rotatable between an open and closed position, are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,659 discloses a three-piece dispensing closure having a cap, lid and spout. The lid is located over the cap so as to hold the spout in sealed engagement with a hole in the cap. The spout is movable about the longitudinal axis of the container upon which the device is affixed, from a closed horizontal position to an open vertical position. Dispensing liquid through the lid is inconvenient due to the spout position, and further drip or sloppage from the spout is likely.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,200 also discloses a dispensing device having a movable spout. The bottle screw cap disclosed therein includes a spout member which is rotatable in a horizontal plane about the vertical axis of the cap from an open position where the spout is in communication with the hollow body of the cap to a closed position. The cap, however, is configured so as to dispense in a generally horizontal direction which inhibits easy pouring when the container is tipped.
Other retractable, or pivotal dispensing closures are also known such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,320,859 and 3,358,890. However, neither of these devices offer the beneficial advantages of the pour spout of the present invention.